1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to object placement. More particularly, the present invention relates to automated assistance in object placement.
2. Background Art
In areas where the arrangement of objects is a primary concern, such as in the semiconductor chip industry or the architectural industry, "manual" layout using computer design is time-consuming and has traditionally been a trial-and-error process. Constraints on the objects, such as a minimum distance between particular objects, make manual layout even more complex. The efficiency with which the layout can be modified to pursue different placement strategies defines the designer's productivity.
Attempts have been made to address the productivity issue associated with object placement design. These attempts can generally be divided into two classes, particularly in the semiconductor chip industry; fully automated object placement and symbolic entry. Fully automated object placement removes design control completely from the designer and is limited by the types of objects and design style. Symbolic entry allows the designer to design the layout in a symbolic environment without regard to constraints. The symbolic design is then globally transformed automatically into a design that conforms to the constraints, and often one which differs significantly from the ideal design in the symbolic environment. Thus, in both types of automated object placement, design control is limited or removed from the designer.
Thus, a need exists for automated assistance in object placement design where design control is maintained while the inefficiency of manual placement is avoided. A need also exists for improved automatic object placement.